


Nightmares Come True

by BallofYarn



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Bonding Time, Crying, Feels, Gen, Grief, Harm, Nightmares, Pain, Short Story, he was happy once, she wasnt the only one, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 19:32:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15444267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BallofYarn/pseuds/BallofYarn
Summary: Joey Drew wasn't always the madman he is now. After suffering a terrible loss, he consoles his 8-year old daughter after she had a nightmare, and he has to come to terms with facing hardship and embracing comfort from others...





	Nightmares Come True

“Papa!! Papa, wake up!”

 Small hands pressed against Joey’s tense shoulders as he laid alone in his bed designed for two. His hand rested in the empty spot to his left, as if he could still feel the warmth of the body who used to rest there not long ago. With a jerky move, he grunted and turned to gaze his daughter in the eyes, his own visibly quite red and swollen. Swift withered hands reached up to rub them before retrieving his spectacles and returning his view to the young girl before him.

 “...Mary,” he said softly, fighting drowsiness and insomnia. “What are you doing up, stardust?”

 The girl, just 3 months past 8 years old, anxiously heaved her small form up onto the bed, climbing to sit at her father’s side and pulling the hem of her nightgown over her knees. Soft curls trailed down her shoulders, emphasizing the soft yet worried expression painted across her face.

 “I...I had a scary dream...” she mumbled, pulling her hands up to rest on her chest. “It felt so real, you...you were suffering...”

 Joey adjusted himself to sit upright, fixing the buttons on his night shirt and furrowing his brows.

 “Suffering?” He repeated, worry now mirrored on his face. Mary-Jane nodded, a small whimper escaping her lips.

 “You...you were trapped...” she whispered. “In your mind... Papa, I dreamt you were mad...”

 Joey’s lips parted as he tried to say something, but simply couldn’t find the right words.

 “That’s awful,” he managed to say, his daughter nodding.

 “You’re alright, aren’t you?” She asked him innocently. “It...it was only a dream but...I could hear you screaming. Crying...it...it was...”

 The father placed gentle, reassuring hands against Mary-Jane’s cheeks as she began to snivel pitifully. Slow shushes were whispered through his teeth and he used his thumbs to wipe away her crystal tears.

 “My dear,” Joey muttered as he cradled her face in the comfort of his palms. “I am far from mad, I can assure you. I’m here...with you.”

 Then he pulled her close, her soft sobs muffled by his shoulders as the girl wrapped tightly around him. His lips pressed softly against her cheek, an action so warm and comforting it eased her trembling and encouraged her to breathe deeply.

 “There, there now, my flower...” he muttered as he held her. “It’s ok...you’re ok...”

 The girl absorbed the reassurance like a sponge, and after a few small hiccups, she managed to release him and wipe her face with the back of her hands.

 “I know I’m not a baby,” Mary choked as she wiped her damp hands on her gown. “It’s babyish to cry over a scary dream...”

 “Far from it,” Joey replied without missing a beat. He gently brushed honey locks out of his child’s reddened face as she looked up at him with just her eyes. “It’s a brave thing to be so strong...but we can never expect you to be strong forever. You have a very kind heart, Mary-Jane—if we had more people like you in this world, it would surely be a much better place.”

 A warm glow seemed to emanate off her face as her lips curled up into a soft smile.

 “Thank you, papa...” she muttered before lowering her head down towards her lap. “Can I sleep...in your bed tonight, though...please?”

 The request flashed Joey back to his blossoming days of fatherhood...the days when a much younger Mary-Jane would toddle into his bedroom and pull herself up onto the bed and nestle herself in his arms. He knew he should have instructed her to go back to bed; he knew this habit couldn’t go on forever. But the small child sandwiched between her parents and snuggled against the chest of her father provided him with the kind of warmth he had always hoped from fatherhood. As she grew older, old habits began to fade away, and the spot in the middle of the bed began to feel cold...empty.

 And the hallow feeling in his heart immediately filled with a longing he had buried inside for the longest three weeks of his life.

 Oh, how she really did look just like her mother.

 The resemblance tied his throat up.

 “My sweet child,” he swept his arms around her again. “You don’t even have to ask.”

 Mary-Jane returned the embrace, her face nestled in Joey’s neck and brushed by his unkept facial hair.

 “...we’ve both been feeling lonely...haven’t we...” she mumbled. Joey barely nodded.

 “I believe we have, my Mary...I believe we have.”

 Unbeknownst to the girl, Joey’s lips quivered violently as messy streams of tears trickled down his cheeks. He was definitely not one to show emotion, despite what he had told his daughter. But in this moment of united pain, the last thing he cared about was how broken he was.

 ...

...And it was the same tears that flowed now.

 Joey was alone once more, his back against the withered wall and his aged hands covering his face in shame and sorrow. His knees curled up and pitifully buried his head as he whimpered small murmurs and gags. How... _pathetic_.

  _Look at you, Mr. Drew. Why do you weep? The ritual was a success! We are now one step closer..._

 “This was never part of the deal,” Joey managed to choke. “Why...why did it have to be her...?”

  _Oh, you know very well that it was part of the deal. In order for one to accomplish their dreams, sometimes sacrifices must be made. It’s just business. Surely you would understand?_

A sudden slam of a fist to the ground solidified his answer. “NO business should ever be this hellish!!”

  _SHE IS ALIVE, DREW. JUST LIKE I SAID SHE WOULD BE! IF IT WEREN’T FOR ME, SHE WOULD HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME FATE AS HER MOTHER! AND NOW, BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANT STUPIDITY, POLK KNOWS!! NOW EVERYTHING WE HAVE WORKED FOR UP TO THIS POINT COULD BE FOR NAUGHT!!_

 Joey paused, his grip on his graying hair loosening as he released a deep sigh.

 “It’s not right...” he whimpered. “Oh, my stardust...what have I done...”

  _I promised you a rich and successful career. And you promised me life. And now, we know you can create it. Just at a cost._

 “The cost is too...” The man once again buried his face in his hands. “It’s too much... the pain...the screams...”

  _You really are a pathetic mess, Drew. And here I thought we were partners. No matter..._

 It was as if lighting struck through the body of the man, as a sharp cry of pain shot through his lungs and echoed through the halls as his limbs underwent a violent spasm. The spark soon faded. His swollen eyes darkened, and his frail lips curled up in a malicious grin.

 Pulling himself off the ground, Joey stretched out his fingers like he was fitting a brand new pair of gloves. He stood up painlessly, his cane abandoned on the rotting floor beneath.

  _I’ll take care of it myself._


End file.
